Navico 3G/4G Radar

The new 3G and even newer 4G radars from Navico are sailor-friendly aids to navigation that use continuous-wave FM-based technology to do away with the energy consuming magnetrons found in traditional pulse-based radar systems. Employing simultaneous send/receive circuitry and efficient FM signal propagation, the radars, which are marketed under Navico’s Lowrance, Simrad and B&G brands, provide extremely crisp in-close detail, low power consumption and “instant on” capability. While the 3G has longer legs than Navico’s first broadband unit, the BR24, which lost its edge at ranges beyond six miles, it’s the 4G that is the real “long ranger” when it comes to target acquisition. With 50 percent more maximum-range detection ability, the 4G stands tall among 18-20in dome antenna units, behaving more like a big-league open-array unit than comparably sized competitors. The 3G does not have the same reach as the 4G, but sips a miserly 18 watts of power as it transmits, receives and sends data to its display screen. The 4G adds the option of a split-range display and a beam-sharpening feature that has drawn approval from a wide range of industry watchers. From $1,699. Navico, navico.com